Science/Environment

Obama Shoots Down Mileage Tax Idea

The moment I heard this idea it sounded like box office poison, and it looks like the administration did too. Because not only does it mean you’d have to have some sort of Orwellian GPS system attached to every car, but it completely negates the benefits of higher mileage hybrids that are in the pipeline.

Secretary Ray LaHood floated the idea in an interview with The Associated Press.

Gasoline taxes for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction, but LaHood said they can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation’s transportation system moving.

“We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled,” the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said.